plural noun
ZoologyAn order of minute branchiopod crustaceans which includes the water fleas. They typically have a transparent shell enclosing the trunk, and large antennae which are used for swimming.
‘As a juvenile, Pomoxis nigromaculatus feeds mainly on microscopic prey such as Cyclops, Cladocera, and Daphnia.’- ‘Daphnia are freshwater crustaceans in the order Cladocera that are known to have four expansion segments in the 18S rRNA gene.’
- ‘In the chapter on the Cladocera, Smith does not address the much-discussed question of whether this Order really is a valid monophyletic group.’
- ‘Osmoregulation in Cladocera has been comprehensively reviewed by Aladin and Potts.’
- ‘Salt-tolerant species within the chydorid Cladocera, as well as many freshwater Ostracoda and Chironomidae, push beyond this limit by means of hyper-osmotic regulation.’
Origin
Modern Latin (plural), from Greek klados ‘branch or root’ + keras ‘horn’ (because of the branched antennae).
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